A day after narrowly avoiding disaster when Travis d'Arnaud was struck on the wrist, the Atlanta Braves were yet again forced to hold their breath when slugging third baseman Austin Riley was struck on the wrist by 97.1 MPH sinker in the first inning.
Although Riley initially stayed in the game to run the bases, he was removed from the game before the Braves starter, Charlie Morton, had thrown a pitch. Luke Williams replaced the righty at third base.
Austin Riley, who was hit in the hand by a pitch, is out of the game. He stayed in to run the bases.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) August 18, 2024
Luke Williams is in the game.
What an Austin Riley injury could mean to the Braves' playoff hopes
It's no secret that the 2024 Braves have had an incredibly disappointing season to date. In addition to the plethora of injuries, the remaining healthy members of the team have more or less disappointed as well.
One bat that has done his job, especially since the beginning of July, has been Austin Riley. Outside of Marcell Ozuna, the 27-year-old has been Atlanta's second-most productive position player. Riley has slashed .256/.321/.461 (115 wRC+) for the season with 19 homers.
Simply put, an injury that puts the Braves star third baseman on the shelf for an extended period could devastate their postseason aspirations as the club clings to the third wild card spot.
Nacho Alvarez Jr., who struggled mightily in his eight-game cup of coffee, is currently the only infielder on the 40-man roster who is not on the 26-man roster. The Gwinnett Stripers' other third base options include Andrew Velazquez, Brian Anderson, and Zack Short, none of whom could come particularly close to matching Riley's production down the stretch.
Even on the major league roster, the Braves have been forced to turn to Whit Merrifield in the absence of Ozzie Albies, and only have one other infield option on the bench, Luke Williams.
Hopefully the Braves can avoid serious issue like they did yesterday with Travis d'Arnaud. Stay tuned to House That Hank Built for more updates.